6.21.2010

of bbq's, thunderstorms, and bedrooms

For the rest of yesterday we went over to Nancy's house for the BBQ (sorry, forgot my camera!!! super sad about this... next time though!!!). Sunday night, as it happens, is the traditional Mormon Family Night. The idea of a "family night" is nothing bad in any way. Just the fact that they plug "mormon" on the front of it that bothers me. They gave their father gifts because it was Father's Day, then everyone talked a little, and then Nancy read out of a book for awhile before prayer and dinner was started. For dinner we had salad, home-made baked beans (left over from a missionary feed of sorts), and steak. It was all really good. Then we went up to Rachel's room, which is painted the most beautiful shade of royal purple and overlaid with sparkles (at her request), adorned with leopard wall paper, and featuring a fun, full-sized loft bed, 3 toads, a tree frog, a pet bearded dragon and a hamster. Needless to say, Rachel loves her pet. She loves cats and dragons and could talk for hours about the video games she plays and the books she loves to read. Then we went down to the basement and watched the pilot episode of Kings while eating home-made popcorn. Very good.

Then we came back to the house, and I attempted to go to bed, but there was such an epic thunderstorm out that I just couldn't sleep. So I watched "Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging" (made me think of Jill because she said it was super cute. wished i could have watched it with her!) which was an adorable British chick-flick of sorts while the sky flashed constantly (which I video'd and you can see below... it's not nearly as epic on youtube than it is live).



This morning I was going to get up super early and go for a run, but that was postponed due to the incredible storm that was still going on outside, with growing intensity. Giving up on that idea, I went back to bed.

Got up a few hours later and cleaned (like, swept, mostly -- can't really clean it until the boxes are out of it) and organized the spare room that I'm currently living in. Realized that I could actually be keeping all of my stuff in the closet (with shelves!) instead of at the mercy of the dogs (were Lacy to get in again, I try to keep the room door closed as much as I can anymore, regardless of where my stuff is).

Then I showered, organized things a bit more, and with the added space in my room, I moved some of the boxes from the kitchen and main walkways into my room.

spare (my) room before

other side of side(my) room before

spare/my room after


 other side of spare/my room after
(notice the location of the light switch. i think someone was drunk when they designed this room)

 another view of spare/my room.
you can see my stuff in the closet, and my awesome speaker system on top of the wardrobe (which is where I keep all my electronics, actually)

 View out the northern facing window and the backyard

view out the eastern facing window (and our neighbor's house, lol)

Then we all went to Walmart and I was able to pick up some things I've been missing (you have no idea how much you love floss until you don't have access to any after eating a ton of corn!!!). Then I set to work cleaning out the side room, which I can only assume was intended for a dining room. Moved boxes, scared the cat with the vacuum cleaner. Vacuumed that rug on the floor to death, then did a Cinderella job on the floor. Now waiting for the floor to dry before moving more boxes into that room. I think one or both of the dogs, and perhaps the cats as well used one of the side walls in that room for marking purposes. Disgusting.

Got my syllabus for my summer class. Ew. Not looking forward to working on that in addition to cleaning and moving, and looking for a job. But that's just the way things go, I suppose. No way around it. I also need to turn in my internship paperwork.... should get some envelops for that.

After cleaning some, Jan and I tried to hit up the pool, but it was occupied by a swim meet, which was a bummer. It was a perfect day to go swimming. Nice and boiling hot.

Then I finished cleaning the dining/side room and then Jan and I went out to this mexican restaurant in town that's over by HyVee and Walmart. It was really small, but the food wasn't bad. I can be kinda picky when it comes to Mexican cuisine, I suppose. Got a Quesadilla de Fajitas, but it tasted kinda like the cheese was a cheese sauce instead of actual cheese. No harm done, and I was only able to eat half of it, so I brought the rest home with me, which will either be happily devoured later this evening, or saved for the lunch hour of tomorrow. :)

Going to try to run tonight and hopefully *fingers crossed* actually get out and go around town some more by myself tomorrow morning/afternoon.

I've been here almost a week!!! How crazy is that? Insane. But also? I've made some new goals for myself because, although this is "summer break" it's not really a break for me because there is so much I have to do, so many goals I have for myself, in addition to everything I have to do with helping Jan and Jim, and then moving, and then summer class, and internship, and work (please, God!!! give me a paying job!)

Jim's mom has kinda gone AWOL about the whole closure on the house thing. Kinda frustrating because we're trying to move in on Saturday (after the move-in date already got moved several times), and I have a lot I have to do, they don't want to be stuck in the house here in Shen longer than they have to, and his mom is the one who is doing the main part of the financial stuff in regards to the house. Plus, they were trying to go to Iowa City next Monday to get some more trial meds for Jan, but that might have to be postponed anyway with the car trouble they've been having, and the short time they'll have between actually moving (if we do move on Saturday) and the road tripping there on Sunday for their Monday appointment.

*sigh* I guess just more prayer that everything goes smoothly and according to the current plan is something I need to be doing.

Well, now on to more organizing of the dining room, and perhaps a few pictures of it when it's finished.

Can't wait til we move and I can put up my wall decorations and maybe actually sleep in a real bed! This air mattress is starting to get the best of me... :(

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